Clos du Val Wine Company Napa Valley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2015, California

It’s time for my #FridayCabernetfix. Here is a delicious one.

Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim. Not showing age at all.

Fruity nose of blackberries, sweet cherries, cooked strawberries, spices, cedar, vanilla, licorice, chocolates, tobacco, herbs, light vegetables, pencil lead, peppercorn, leather and coffee.

Full bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and very fruity on the palate with blackberries, black currants, cedar, earth, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, tobacco, mocha, coke, peppercorn, pencil lead and dark coffee.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. Showing nice complexity with a nice mouthfeel.

Good right out of the bottle, and better with airtime.

This 6 years old is still young, but already enjoyable. Will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 10 years.

This is from a great vintage and it is showing beautifully right now.

Nicely balanced and fruit forward.
Loved the nose once it opens up.

Needs a couple of hours to open up properly, so be patient.

Robert Parker 90 points.

Thanks Elvira and David for sharing this with me.

Tasty and spicy. Delicious, rich and opulent.

A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc. Aged in French oak barrels (66% new).

14.7% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$50.

Serres Ranch Winery Bordeaux Style Blend 2017, Sonoma Valley, California

Dark ruby in color, almost Inky, with a short reddish rim.

Very unique nose of black currants, black plums, red cherries, cranberries, spices, light oak, licorice, vanilla, green pepper, cardamom, dark coffee and tobacco.

Medium plus in body with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with cherries, black plums, blueberries, light wood, earth, spices, tobacco leaf, chocolates and peppercorn.

Nice tangy finish with soft tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a very interesting Malbec blend from Sonoma. Fruit forward and elegant. Showing nice complexity and mouthfeel. Tangy, and a good food wine. Alcohol is nicely integrated, so watch yourself.

The nose is very interesting, which was a nice surprise, once it opened up. Better after 90 minutes in the decanter.

This 4 year old will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 7 years. Would be nice to revisit it then.

I paired it with a fatty Brie cheese and crackers.

A blend of 46% Malbec, 30% Petit Verdot and 24% Cabernet Sauvignon. Grapes were aged separately for 3 years in French oak barrels.

14.8% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$65.

Ghost Horse Vineyards Shadow Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 Napa Valley, California

It’s time for my #FridayCabernetfix.

This is a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon from the great 2012 vintage.

Showing a strong and delicious nose.

Full bodied, smooth and elegant, with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate and very fruity with blackberries, coffee, chocolates, tobacco, licorice, vanilla, cedar, cola and black pepper.

Good right out of the bottle and better as it opens up, and shows the complexity.

This 9 year old is very enjoyable now, and will continue to drink nicely in the next 5 years.

Thank you Scott for sharing this with me.

Nicely balanced with a great mouthfeel. Rich, yet elegant. Fruit forward with nice complexity.

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with a delicious Charcuterie board.

15.3% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$160 (current vintage).

Duckhorn Vineyards Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, Napa Valley, California

It’s my 7,000th review on vivino, so here is a gorgeous Napa Cabernet to celebrate with.

Dark ruby color with a wide brick/ reddish rim.

Gorgeous nose of blackberries, black plums, cooked cherries, figs, raisins, vanilla, cedar, earth, light vegetables, pencil lead, beef jerky, light vinaigrette, chocolates, coke, mocha, eucalyptus, dark coffee and black pepper.

Full-bodied, smooth, bold and elegant, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate and extremely fruity with blackberries, sweet cherries, black currants, cedar, earth, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, tobacco, mocha, coke, light vegetables, pencil lead and peppercorn.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 11 year old Napa Cabernet is peaking now. So yummy and delicious. Showing great complexity and a wonderful mouthfeel.

Good right out of the bottle, but way better after 2 hours of airtime. Needs 90 minutes to show the tannins.

This is a one that you can have all by itself, and talk about with friends. I loved the nose, and kept smelling on it for a long time.

A blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon and 16% Merlot. Aged in French oak barrels for 26 months (95% new).

14.5% alcohol by volume.

98 points.

$100 (current vintage).

Calla Lily Estate Audax Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015, California

It’s time for my #FridayCabernetfix. Here is a gorgeous one.

This 6 year old Napa Cabernet is drinking very nicely now. Rich and extracted. Spicy with a great mouthfeel.

Dry and very fruity on the palate with medium acidity and long legs.

Smooth and elegant and feels prestigious. Full bodied and bold.

Showing black fruits with cedar, vanilla, leather, earth, chocolates, tobacco, coffee, Mediterranean spices, light vegetables and fresh flower stems.

Showing great complexity on the nose and palate with a gorgeous nose. Delicious.

Rich, yet elegant and so tasty.

Would be very nice to pair it with a big piece of steak. I paired it with Caciocavallo cheese. Delish.

A blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Malbec. Aged for 27 months in French Oak barrels. A small production of only 1,580 bottles.

14.1% alcohol by volume.

94 points.

$120.

Lucky Rock Wine Co. County Cuvee Pinot Noir 2019, California

Ruby in color with a reddish rim.

Fruity nose of blueberries, cherries, strawberries, spices and minerals.

Medium plus in body with medium plus acidity.

Dry and fruity on the palate with cherries, strawberries, blueberries, dark chocolates and spices.

Tangy finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a nice and easy drinking Pinot Noir from California. Spicy and tangy.

A nice party wine that I paired with a fatty Brie cheese by the lake.

14.3% alcohol by volume.

88 points.

$22.

Calla Lily Estate and Winery Ultimate Red Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 Napa Valley, California

It’s time for my #FridayCabernetfix.

This is a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley.

Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity.

Dry and very fruity on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, figs, raisins, chocolates, coffee, cola, vanilla, cedar, spices and peppercorn.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and red chili powder.

This five-year-old is drinking very nicely now and will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 10 years.

Showing a great nose, once it opens up (4 hours). I had it before, and this time I gave it a much longer decant, which really benefited the nose.

A great wine to have all by itself and talk about. Will be interesting to try it in five years.

Delicious, rich, extracted and fruit forward.

I paired it with a Charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

A small production of only 42 barrels.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

94 points.

$65.

Ocean Song Vineyards Rum Barrel Aged Merlot 2019, California

Dark ruby in color with a wide purplish rim.

Sweet nose of blackberries, sweet plums, cooked cherries, cedar, vanilla, red candy, spices, sweet tobacco, chocolates, coffee and diet cola.

Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity.

Dry to off dry on the palate with black plums, cooked cherries, oak, vanilla, licorice, cloves, herbs, spices, dark chocolates, coffee, peppercorn, light earth and mocha.

Nice finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a nice every day Merlot from California. A little sweet for my taste, but easy drinking nonetheless.

Showing mild complexity with a nice mouthfeel. A little “fake” tasting, but very pleasant.

Good right out of the bottle and better after 2 hours of airtime. Good by itself or with food.

I paired it with a Charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$15.

Gemstone Vineyard Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, Napa Valley, California

Deep purple in color with a short purple rim.

Gorgeous nose of blackberries, cooked plums, raisins, eucalyptus, earth, dried figs, tobacco, spices, oregano, light vegetables, cedar, vanilla, pencil lead, leather, chocolates, mint, herbs and black pepper.

Full bodied with medium acidity and long legs. Smooth and elegant.

Dry on the palate and fruity, with blackberries, black plums, cedar, tobacco, chocolates, coffee, cola, vanilla, licorice, leather, spices, light vegetables, herbs and peppercorn.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a wonderful Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. Nicely aged and drinking extremely well now.

Well balanced with great complexity and a smooth mouthfeel. Tasty and tangy with a teeth staining color and a very interesting nose.

Good right out of the bottle and better with airtime. After 3 hours in the decanter, tannins show up and bring nice structure.

Robert Parker 93 points.

Thank you Scott for sharing this with me.

This 11 year old is peaking now, and will be good in the next 5 to 7 years. Rich and extracted. Spicy and interesting.

So enjoyable by itself, but good with food too. A great sipping wine that I paired with great company.

96 points.

$100.

Bressler Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, California

It’s time for my #FridayCabernetfix. Here is a gorgeous one.

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Fruity nose of blackberries, sweet cherries, black currants, cedar, earth, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, tobacco, coke, graphite, light alcohol and black pepper.

Full bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate and fruity with blueberries, black currants, black cherries, tobacco leaf, spices, vanilla, licorice, cedar, earth, black pepper, chocolates and dark coffee.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a wonderful Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley. Showing great complexity with a smooth mouthfeel.

This 7 year old from the great 2014 vintage is drinking very nicely now, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.

A very enjoyable Cabernet. Delicious, rich and extracted, with a great mouthfeel.

Good right out of the bottle, and better as it opens up (1 hour).

Thank you Kim and Barry for sharing this with me.

Very tasty and good by itself or with foods, like BBQ Meats. I paired it with a Charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon , 8% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot. Aged in (80% new) French Oak barrels for 29 months. A small production of only 445 cases. Unfortunately, their last vintage was the 2015.

14.7% alcohol by volume.

95 points.

$100.